#BDCBE9
Closest named color: Light Blue Grey (#B7C9E2). oklch(84.1% 0.045 265.6), rgb(189, 203, 233).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (12.88:1).
About this color
#BDCBE9 is a light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 84%, its chroma 0.045 and its hue 266°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Blue Grey (#B7C9E2), ΔE 0.013 away. Black text reads best on it, at 12.88:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (84%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.045) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Blue Grey (#B7C9E2) |
| Black text | 12.88:1 |
| White text | 1.63:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDCBE9 |
| RGB | rgb(189, 203, 233) |
| HSL | hsl(221, 50%, 83%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(84.1% 0.045 265.6) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #BDCBE9 | 1.63:1 | Fails | Lc -31.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDCBE9 | 12.88:1 | AAA | Lc 75.7 | Fine for body text |
| #BDCBE9 text on white | 1.63:1 | Fails | Lc 28.1 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #BDCBE9 text on black | 12.88:1 | AAA | Lc -74.8 | Content text, not long reading |
Tints and shades
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 300.
-
Step 50
50
#F3F5FA
oklch(97% 0.007 268.5)
-
Step 100
100
#E6EAF3
oklch(93.7% 0.013 266.7)
-
Step 200
200
#D1D9EA
oklch(88.4% 0.025 265.6)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDCBE9
oklch(84.1% 0.045 265.6)
-
Step 400
400
#8BA0CE
oklch(70.6% 0.072 265.5)
-
Step 500
500
#6F88C1
oklch(63.1% 0.091 265.7)
-
Step 600
600
#5771AE
oklch(55.5% 0.1 265.7)
-
Step 700
700
#475F95
oklch(49.1% 0.092 265)
-
Step 800
800
#3B4D79
oklch(42.6% 0.077 266.3)
-
Step 900
900
#324161
oklch(37.7% 0.059 264.6)
-
Step 950
950
#1E2639
oklch(27% 0.037 266.4)
#BDCBE9 with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #C2CDEA | 0.009 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BEC9E8 | 0.005 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #B2D1D5 | 0.040 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #CBCBCB | 0.045 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDCBE9
#BDCBE9
oklch(84.1% 0.045 265.6)
- #D8C9AA
#D8C9AA
oklch(84% 0.045 85.2)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes with this color
Curated palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.04 (OKLab) of #BDCBE9, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.013
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.029
- Light Periwinkle #C1C6FC ΔE 0.034
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.038
- Light Blue #ADD8E6 ΔE 0.040
- Baby Blue #A2CFFE ΔE 0.040
- Cadet Gray #CED4DA ΔE 0.043
- Thistle #D8BFD8 ΔE 0.045
Use #BDCBE9 in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.